Democracy died in daylight

It won’t be news to anyone by now that Republicans in the Senate voted against allowing witnesses and new evidence in Trump’s impeachment trial. And Chief Justice Roberts must be breathing easier knowing he won’t have to cast a tie-breaking vote, preserving his plausible deniability as he helps drive a stake through the heart of democracy. It’s a certainty that Republicans will give their Glorious Leader a free pass when it’s time to hold the final vote.

And yet…

It’s interesting that the Senate vote on convicting Trump won’t be held until Wednesday, the morning after Trump gives his State of The Union address. So he’ll still technically be a defendant on trial when he gets up before his accusers and defenders. I wonder what he’ll say? Will he sneer and gloat, before the vote? Or will he have the good sense to be humble and contrite? (Sorry, I know you’re laughing. That was humor, ar ar.) How will his comments affect the vote the next day?

We’ve all been expecting the Republican coverup anyway, though the reality is still depressing. Now it all depends on the election in November.

Everyone’s obsessed with the Presidential race, but I think we should pay more attention to the Senate. You see, twenty, count ‘em 20, Republican senators are up for reelection, and three are retiring. That’s almost half the Republican bloc. Eleven Democrats are up for reelection, one retiring.

I like those odds, after Republicans betrayed the country and the Constitution so brazenly and openly. I think that the Senate election is, in many ways, more important than the Presidency: If Democrats take both houses of Congress, they can effectively check Trump if he’s reelected; and if a Democrat is in the White House, Democrats will have free rein to enact reforms and repair the damage done by four years of Republican misrule and malfeasance. Subject to obstruction by the Supreme Court, of course…but can you say “court packing”? Eleven justices, seven to four liberal over conservative. Sweet.

It may be twilight in America, but I’m not so sure democracy is dead yet. Stay tuned.